fatalism, structure, and grace (part 1)

So, through the course of events that have thus far made up what I refer to as "my life," I've been left with quite a sour taste for the Church. However, I should be more specific by clarifying what I mean by "the Church." Really, what I mean, is "the domesticized, American Church." I read an article the other day that highlighted some points made by Philip Jenkins in his book, The Next Christendom: The Coming of Global Christianity. I plan on purchasing the book as I have found the bits and pieces read thusfar very, very interesting. This, for example...:

Over the past century . . . the center of gravity in the Christian world has shifted inexorably southward, to Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Already today, the largest Christian communities on the planet are to be found in Africa and Latin America. If we want to visualize a “typical” contemporary Christian, we should think of a woman living in a village in Nigeria or in a Brazilian favela. As Kenyan scholar John Mbiti has observed, “the centers of the church’s universality [are] no longer in Geneva, Rome, Athens, Paris, London, New York, but Kinshasa, Buenos Aires, Addis Ababa and Manila.” (p. 2)

What is it about our society that has caused our people to loose sight of what our true calling is? European Christianity can be described as archaic and archeological whilst America's spin is one that is totally sociological and clings to the consumer and market for dear life. Is this true religion, true Christianity? Not according to James 1:27...

Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

Doesn't seem like our cup of tea here in the states, now does it? Of course, we should still take care of the orpahns and widows today. However, the concept here, in my opinion, is to take care of people "in their distress." Orphans and widows were on the very fringes of society during the time this was written. Who are those, in present society, that are on the very edge of existence? Drug attics? Or the sellers? Prostitutes? Or the pimps? Drunkards? Then, obviously, there is our own little reality. Maybe the people about to be pushed off your map of acceptance are homosexuals. A certain race group, perhaps? There are those who are social outcasts because our society is built-so that the rejection of those peoples is pretty much an intrinsic function of the populus. Then, there are those that, based on our personal experience and rearing, have become outcasts and social rejects.

Let us all examine ourselves to the end that we glorify God by fleshing out this true, pure, and undefiled religion that James speaks of. Amen.


Selah...